Veteran's Day Transcription Project
Remembering Company E in Holton, Kansas
Have you ever stopped to read the names engraved on a veterans' memorial? Have you wondered about the people behind those names, where they lived, or what happened to them?
For several years, I've participated in the Veterans Day Transcription Project, an initiative started by Heather Wilkinson Rojo of the Nutfield Genealogy blog. The purpose of this project is simple: encourage genealogists and local historians to photograph and transcribe veterans' memorials so the names engraved on them become searchable online.
In previous years, I've contributed to this project by sharing photographs and transcriptions of military monuments in Nemaha County, Kansas.
This year, I'm venturing beyond Nemaha County to share a World War II memorial located in Holton, Kansas.
What makes this monument particularly interesting is that it doesn't honor only soldiers from Holton or Jackson County. Instead, it remembers soldiers from communities across the United States who served together during World War II.
The Company E Memorial in Holton, Kansas
Located in Linscott Park in Holton, Kansas, this granite monument honors soldiers of Company E, 137th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division.
The 137th Infantry Regiment was part of the Kansas National Guard before World War II. The regiment was called into federal service in December 1940 and eventually deployed to Europe.
The 35th Infantry Division landed in Normandy in July 1944 and entered combat on July 11. The division subsequently participated in fighting across France and into Germany.
The monument's list of fallen soldiers begins on July 11, 1944, the date the division entered combat in Normandy. Many of the names have that same date engraved beside them.
The memorial was erected by soldiers of Company E to remember their fallen comrades.
At the top of the monument is an engraving of a rifle surrounded by a wreath. Below it are the unit designations:
35, DIV.
137, INF. — CO. E
The inscription reads:
IN MEMORY OF OUR COMRADES WHO DIED
SO THAT WE MAY ENJOY THE FREEDOM
AND HERITAGE OF OUR FOREFATHERS
Below this dedication are the names of 73 soldiers, along with their hometowns and dates.
Transcription of the Memorial
The following transcription was made from a photograph of the monument in Holton, Kansas.
The names, hometowns, and dates are presented in the order they appear on the monument. State abbreviations have generally been retained as engraved.
| Name | Hometown | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Pullon, James E. | Bristol, VA | 7-11-44 |
| Blacksmith, Leonard R. | Lake Andes, S. Dak. | 7-11-44 |
| Train, Harold A. | Cass Lake, Minn. | 7-11-44 |
| Pelletier, Verden J. | — | 7-11-44 |
| Thomas, Julian W., Jr. | Blackshear, GA | 7-11-44 |
| Rosenberg, Emanuel | Philadelphia, PA | 7-11-44 |
| Adams, Grover L. | Topeka, Kans. | 7-11-44 |
| Paladino, Charles S. | Orange, N.J. | 7-14-44 |
| Youpa, Peter T. | Oxford, N.J. | 7-14-44 |
| Fund, Roy L. | Goff, Kans. | 7-15-44 |
| Roush, Jack K. | Huntington, Ind. | 7-16-44 |
| Himelright, Erol B. | Strasburg, VA | 7-16-44 |
| Tangen, Robert T. | — | 7-16-44 |
| Cook, Russell L. | Santanta, Kans. | 7-17-44 |
| Lara, Antonio P. | Las Cruces, N.M. | 7-18-44 |
| Pugh, Ernest C. | Crossville, Tenn. | 7-18-44 |
| Simmons, Clarence E. | Pickens, S.C. | 7-18-44 |
| Treubrodt, Albert | Flint, Mich. | 7-25-44 |
| Frost, Cecil D. | Circleville, Kans. | 9-12-44 |
| Patton, Jesse M. | Monticello, KY | 9-16-44 |
| Osborn, Claud W. | Holton, Kans. | 9-21-44 |
| Morris, Raymond | — | 9-21-44 |
| Schillinger, Charles G. | Santa Rosa, Calif. | 9-21-44 |
| Meier, Sylvester E. | Holton, Kans. | 9-28-44 |
| Ramsey, Ephraim G. | Holton, Kans. | 9-28-44 |
| Hedin, Roy V. | Lindsborg, Kans. | 9-30-44 |
| Jones, Murl A. | Mayetta, Kans. | 10-1-44 |
| Fernkopf, Harmon J. | Holton, Kans. | 10-2-44 |
| Angeles, Nicholas T. | Los Angeles, Calif. | 10-2-44 |
| Beaulieu, Henry | Verlin, N.H. | 10-2-44 |
| Jones, Fred M. | Hattiesburg, Miss. | 10-2-44 |
| Dick, Joseph E. | New Orleans, LA | 10-3-44 |
| Martin, Junior H. | Terry, W. VA | 10-6-44 |
| Middleswart, Max W. | Meade, Kans. | 10-6-44 |
| Lines, Sherrod C. | Holton, Kans. | 10-20-44 |
| Bradshaw, Kenneth A. | Oakland, Calif. | 11-8-44 |
| Wolfe, Bernard J. | Napoleon, N. Dak. | 11-8-44 |
| Ingram, William K. | Remlap, Ala. | 11-10-44 |
| Rich, S. L. | Chanute, Tenn. | 11-10-44 |
| Brown, James L. | Phiopot, KY | 11-11-44 |
| Binkerd, John E. | Lynch, Nebr. | 11-12-44 |
| Wamego, Paul G. | Mayetta, Kans. | 11-13-44 |
| Cavalieri, Orlando | Kingsford, Mich. | 11-22-44 |
| Wilson, Robert W. | Union, W. VA | 11-23-44 |
| Berry, Howard C. | Carson City, Mich. | 11-23-44 |
| Murphy, Marvin C. | Waddy, KY | 12-8-44 |
| Finlay, Robin L. | Belpre, Kans. | 12-17-44 |
| Woods, Frank P. | San Francisco, Calif. | 12-18-44 |
| Blair, George H. | Delaware, Ohio | 12-18-44 |
| Berman, Leonard | New York, N.Y. | 12-28-44 |
| Hill, Arthur C. | Horton, Kans. | 12-28-44 |
| Killian, Robert H. | Wauwautosa, Wisc. | 12-30-44 |
| Lingo, Jack E. | Alledonia, Ohio | 1-3-45 |
| Julson, Harold C. | Olivia, Minn. | 1-3-45 |
| Treat, Alvin H. | Seymour, Conn. | 1-5-45 |
| Ferrara, Carmine M. | — | 1-6-45 |
| Shafer, Henry | Ravenna, Ohio | 1-11-45 |
| Artecki, John Jr. | Warsaw, Poland | 1-11-45 |
| Birr, William J. | Rochester, N.Y. | 1-11-45 |
| Norton, James T. | Gladstone, Mich. | 1-11-45 |
| Frank, Milton T. | Minneapolis, Minn. | 1-11-45 |
| Stoneburner, Edgar A. | Crooksville, Ohio | 1-11-45 |
| Stewart, Lloyd R. | Fairview, Utah | 1-11-45 |
| Lucas, Joseph | Fairbank, PA | 1-12-45 |
| Scalf, Andrew J. | Chucky, Tenn. | 2-27-45 |
| Milligan, Philip P. | Des Moines, IA | 2-28-45 |
| Keplinger, Howard D. | Hagerstown, PA | 3-9-45 |
| Alexander, Robert E. | Miami, Florida | 3-9-45 |
| Danielson, Robert M. | Indianapolis, Ind. | 3-9-45 |
| Casteel, Donald K. | Davenport, IA | 3-27-45 |
| Hibbs, Willis H. | Hanson, KY | 4-11-45 |
| Egalite, George F. | Louisville, KY | 6-2-45 |
| Bills, Dale E. | Topeka, Kans. | 9-13-44 |
A Memorial That Reaches Across the Country
As I studied the names engraved on this monument, I was struck by the variety of hometowns represented.
Although Company E had its roots in the Kansas National Guard, the men commemorated here came from communities throughout the country.
There are soldiers from large cities such as Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Others came from smaller communities such as Goff, Kansas; Lake Andes, South Dakota; and Waddy, Kentucky.
Several Kansas communities are represented, including Holton, Topeka, Horton, Mayetta, Circleville, Lindsborg, and Meade.
But the memorial also includes men from states as distant as California, Florida, New Hampshire, and Connecticut.
One soldier, John Artecki, is listed with Warsaw, Poland, as his hometown.
These men came from different places, but their military service brought them together in the same infantry regiment.
Their names now appear together on a monument in a small Kansas community.
The Dates Tell a Story
Another interesting aspect of this monument is the concentration of dates.
Seven soldiers are listed with the date July 11, 1944. This corresponds with the beginning of the 35th Infantry Division's combat operations in Normandy.
Other groups of names share dates in September, October, November, and December 1944.
Eight soldiers are listed with the date January 11, 1945.
The dates provide clues for additional research. By comparing them with the 137th Infantry Regiment's combat history, it may be possible to learn more about the circumstances surrounding the deaths of these men.
For descendants researching one of these soldiers, the monument provides several valuable pieces of information: a name, hometown, military unit, and date.
Those details could help locate military records, casualty lists, newspaper articles, cemetery records, and other documents.
Why Transcribe Veterans' Memorials?
One of the reasons I enjoy participating in the Veterans Day Transcription Project is that it makes information available to researchers who may never have an opportunity to visit the memorial in person.
A descendant researching a soldier from Pennsylvania or California might never think to look for his name on a monument in Holton, Kansas.
However, once the names are transcribed and published online, they become searchable.
That is the value of this project.
A photograph preserves the appearance of the memorial, while a transcription makes its information easier to discover.
And for genealogists, those names can be the starting point for learning about the individuals and families behind them.
Remembering Their Sacrifice
The Company E memorial is a reminder that World War II brought together Americans from communities across the country.
While this monument stands in Holton, Kansas, the families of the men honored here lived in many different states.
Some were from small Kansas towns. Others came from distant cities and communities. All are remembered together because of their military service.
As we observe Veterans Day, I hope this transcription helps preserve their names and makes them easier for future generations to discover.
The words engraved near the top of the monument express the purpose of this memorial: remembering those who died so that future generations could enjoy the freedoms they helped defend.
May their names and their service never be forgotten.
Sources and Additional Information
Company E Memorial: Photograph of the 35th Infantry Division, 137th Infantry Regiment, Company E memorial, Linscott Park, Holton, Jackson County, Kansas. Personal photograph, 2026.
Veterans Day Transcription Project: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, Nutfield Genealogy, November 2011.
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2011/11/veterans-day-transcription-project.html
Historical Marker Database: Company E, 137th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division Memorial, Holton, Kansas.
https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=63877
Additional Research: The military history of the 35th Infantry Division and 137th Infantry Regiment provides context for the dates appearing on the monument.
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